1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a personal transportation device with a single wheel, and more particularly, to a personal, green-energy, transportation device with a single wheel and a self-balancing function, in which when a driver moves the center of gravity thereof or provides a pedaling power to the personal transportation device, a sensing-control module detects the balancing change of the personal transportation device and an in-wheel motor outputs a balancing torque which can maintain the self-balance of the personal transportation device and assist the driver to move the device forward or backward.
2. Description of Related Art
The prototype of a bicycle is first appeared in the manuscript written by Leonardo da Vinci, however, an entity bicycle is manufactured in the end of the eighteenth century. After near one hundred year's evolution, modern bicycle is born in 1874. A British engineer named Roson designs and builds a bicycle with a roller chain and sprockets. In 1886, Another British engineer named John. K. Stahly designs a new style bicycle fitted with a fork and brakes, wherein the front wheel size is the same to the rear wheel size in the new style bicycle for maintaining balance. Moreover, rubber wheels are firstly used in the new style bicycle, therefore Stahly is later well-known and called as “father of bike”. In 1888, Ireland's veterinary Dunlop, who mounts an inflatable rubber into the bicycle wheels, such that the bicycle wheels become inflatable and more complete.
In the early years, bicycle is treated as a main personal transportation device. However, with industrialization and the advancement of science and technology, medium-size and heavy vehicles begin to be disposed with a internal combustion engine for generating power. Internal combustion engines are also used widely to propel personal transportation devices such as motorcycles. In recent years, there are many countries aware of the environmental protection, so that the medium-size and heavy vehicles with the internal combustion engines cause major environment pollutions are often criticized by environmental groups. As a result, light-weight electric transportation devices capable of saving energy and protecting environment are researched, developed and manufactured under the advocacy of public policies and the sponsorship of government projects.
One of the personal light-weight electric transportation devices is firstly proposed by an American inventor Dean Kamen. For mimicking the sensory organs of balance and the feet of a man, Dean Kamen adapts a high-precision solid-state gyroscope and servomotors in the device; in addition, Dean Kamen utilizes a microprocessor as the central control unit. The device possesses self-balancing function and is sold with the name of “Segway”. In the Segway, the high-precision solid-state gyroscope is used to detect the balance change of the device and to output a signal to the micro-processor. Then, after processing the signal, the micro-processor controls the servomotor for maintaining the dynamic balance of the whole device.
A variety of light electric transportation devices with self-balancing functions are next proposed, for example, “Enicycle” and “U3-X”. Comparing to vehicles with internal combustion engines, the Segway, the Enicycle and the U3-X are more beneficial to the environment. However, since the power of Segway, Enicycle and U3-X comes solely from electricity, the driver's manpower cannot be input to these devices for being as a driving force. For this reason, the Segway, the Enicycle and the U3-X still cannot effectively save energy, such that they cannot be regarded as a true green-energy transportation device.
Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned light-weight electric transportation devices cannot be a true green-energy transportation device, the inventors of the present application have made great efforts to make innovative research and eventually conceived a personal, green-energy, transportation device with single wheel and self-balancing functions.